Caddell's Return from the Bush (1945)

In this painting one is called to see the desolation of war and also a primitive almost animalistic depiction of man through the depiction of natives. There is something eerie about the man looking out over the empty land perhaps the sticks are the remains of his village. The dark colors in the sky are foreboding. The viewer wonders, “Will the man take revenge?” One sees most in this work the empty desolation of the world. There is a strong sense of loss, in the space and emptiness of the work. The depiction in its colors presents a kind of grief-stricken desolation that echoes the desolation of war. The viewer can almost become lost in the work, seeing not what the man pointing is seeing ,but what the man standing silently looking out over empty space and desolation sees in the destruction of his world. The man ape-like gnawing on a stick in the foreground suggests the primitiveness of the people and of the scene. The viewer almost cannot help becoming one with the primitive man and the man silently contemplating the destruction, desolation, and nature (represented by the mountains and sky in the background) of his world.(Chap. 29-Art)

George Grosz’s Hitler in Hell

In this work one can see the skeleton’s piled up beneath Hitler in the foreground. On the right there is a decaying body and around Hitler in the background is what looks like a kind of cloud or river of red. Hitler is holding a sponge to his own head perhaps where he shot himself. Ironically Hitler does not appear tortured in death. The painting suggests Hitler’s responsibility for death and shows his own final punishment as death. In a sense it seems as if much death has been ended by Hitler’s death. Yet there is no revenge in the after life, not torturous punishment, only many many skeletons and the decaying body of Hitler beside the decaying body of an unnamed man. In this way there is created a kind of insignificance in Hitler’s death as he sits besides a nameless man and is surrounded by skeletons. Hitler appears almost to have a headache as he sits eternally surrounded by death. (Chap. 29 Art)

Nuremburg Trials: Fair?

As a student, I often find myself confused by the Nuremburg Trials. Hitler committed heinous acts in his treatment of the jews during World War II ,but at the same time Stalin killed huge numbers of his own people and yet because the U.S. and the U.K. were allied with Stalin in World War II there were no war crime trials against Stalin. I often feel conflicted and find it hard to view the trials as fair and objective yet at the same time recognize the horrors and atrocities committed by Hitler's Regime.

Jean Renoir: Anti-War Sentiment in Europe

Jean Renoir, brother of renowned painter, Pierre Renoir, directed La Grand Illusion. La Grande Illusion was released in 1937 and recounted events of World War I, in its own way La Grande Illusion is comparable to Charles Lindbergh’s America First anti-war campaign because of its more critical view of war. Renoir’s later film, The Rules of the Game, even includes a Charles Lindbergh like character. La Grand Illusion is valuable as a film because it presents a European perspective of war and does it as a first-rate film of its day. In The Rules of the Game Renoir juxtaposes the life of the French aristocracy with that of France. Renoir’s work is significant for its quality as a film of its day and for its European perspective of France and Europe shortly before and at the outbreak of World War II. It’s also interesting to note that La Grand Illusion was condemned by the Nazis for its anti-war sentiment. Jean Renoir in many ways appears very much like a European Hitchcock. (Chap.29 Art/Media)

For more information see:
-An introduction by Jean Renoir to La Grand Illusion(1937)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l63xhUUZOH8

-The first part of The Rules of the Game(1939)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeRihuggakw

Sources:
http://www.filmsite.org/warfilms.html
http://ideonexus.com/2004/12/12/la-grande-illusion/

On Views and Reviews: Soviet Political Posters and Cartoons (Fleming Museum)

This special exhibit of Soviet Political Posters and Cartoons depicts the rise of Lenin, Trotsky, Brezniev, and Stalin in Russia using Russian propaganda. The exhibit uses these images to link Western Society during World War II with the development of Communism in Russia and the industrialization of modern nations. In one image, Stalin is surrounded by admiring onlookers while the West and Capitalism are depicted as a monster hiding behind the mask of a woman’s face. David Winton, the exhibit creator, skillfully uses art to depict the communists’ struggle to gain power and to show a dual image of Stalin. Stalin appears as a man who led his country to become an industrialized nation and world power while the modern viewer is aware of the deaths, brutality, and strict control of opposition leaders by the KGB that suppressed Russian people.
At the same time the exhibit calls the viewer to examine Western Society and Capitalist economies more closely. The exhibit displays the image above, showing the Allied Powers alliance against Hitler, only perhaps to leave an equally tyrannous leader in power. The economic depression in the U.S. and Allied Powers (WWI) treatment of Germany are shown as key factors leading to World War II. Other works show U.S. Big Business owners crushing helpless civilians beneath their feet. The exhibit concludes with a poster showing Stalin raising his hand in the air, in the background machines and industry rise up.
The exhibit ultimately calls the viewer to reevaluate the idea of progress and the hypocrisies underlying Western Society, while simultaneously revealing the failure and duality of Russian society during Stalin’s Regime. If the viewer takes anything from this display it must surely be an eerie reminder of Stalin’s treatment of the Russian people and Russia’s relationship to the West post WWII; Causing the viewer to realize the role of Western Society in WWII and the way Capitalist societies overcame and dealt with the same ills of industrialization.
(Chap.29- Rise of Dictatorships Connection Across Time)

On Thought, Auguste Rodin and The Thinker

Although Aguste Rodin was working in the late 1800s and early 1900s, his statue, The Thinker was still popular and reproduced in the 1920s. Ironically titled the thinker, the man depicted appears to the modern viewer to be man and animal. This animalistic view of man would be an important part of WWI and WWII. The Thinker also seems to be a part of the rock he sits upon. This may also present man’s integral existence with nature. Rodin’s very choice to depict a ‘thinker’ suggests the many changes in thought just beginning with the ideas of Nietzsche. These ideas would evolve and become more important with the advent of World War. Today, the thinker still seems to captivate the viewer and calling one to think about human nature and existence.(Chap. 28 Age of Anxiety)

Luibov Popova & Constructivism: Earth in Turmoil (1923)

In many ways developments of new artistic styles can be compared to new developments in thought and understanding. In Russian artist Liubov Popova’s work the use of industrial settings and the ‘manufactured’ look of her work reflects Russia’s move towards industrialization. Its standard look and Popova’s own acceptance as a significant artist who also was a women shows gender equality.
This particular photomontage provides insights into Russian thinking and events happening at the time it was created. On the far left there is a military or industrial worker standing on a red platform. Just above his head is a red flag with the communist star on it. On the bottom right there is a picture of a soldier with a mask over his face. In the center of the montage there is a pilot looking down at the X-d out image of four leaders or possibly former Russian war heroes. In the lower right hand corner there is a picture of an automobile. All these figures and images are surrounded by the beams and cranes of industry. In 1922, just a year before this image was created, Lenin suffered a stroke putting Stalin in charge of Russia’s new Communist government. The contrast between the X-d out men in the center and the industrial setting suggests the end of old Russia and anticipates Stalin’s aggressive move towards industrialization. This work also suggests the standardization of Russian life in a Communist Totalitarian Dictatorship. (Chap. 28 Age of Anxiety)

Salvador Dali: Portrait of My Sister(1923)

New emphasis on shapes and form and the development of abstract and free form art may also be an important indication of the rejection of conventional ideas and skepticism surrounding World War. In this painting Dali seems to be using art elements similar to that of Picasso. The painting creates a double image where the face of the young girl melts into the image of a nun with disproportionately large hands.The background is dark and grey with muted tones. The colors and change between light and dark subtly create form and shape. Dali may be using the painting to refer to the sexuality of his sister and the books may refer to a more intellectual nature.(Chap. 28)

Punk Rock, Existentialism and Nihilism

The development of existentialist thought and rejection of God and reason is an important hallmark in the development of thought and philosophy in the Western World that still affects society through people’s perceptions of life. Thinkers like Friedrich Nietzsche laid the groundwork for existentialist thought with philosophies that rejected conventional ideas of God, reason, progress, and embraced the meaninglessness of life. These existentialist philosophies valued the individual and self realization over religious or conventional philosophical questions about the meaning of life. Existentialism is similar to the philosophy of Nihilism in its pessimistic world view. Existentialism and nihilism can be seen in literature, music, surrounding and post World War II.
Nihilist and Existentialist thought are similar in that they view life as essentially meaningless in an arbitrary, hostile world. Existentialists ,however, think that the actions of the individual can create meaning whereas nihilists do not believe meaning can be created through the actions of the individual. It is also important to note that existentialism rejected only the conventional morality and rational of its time whereas nihilism is characterized by the “total rejection of law” (Random House 1300) as well as conventional morality and reason. For example, artwork of Cezanne is considered “existentialist” while the conduct of Hitler during WWII might be described as nihilist.
More recently, the evolution of punk rock music espouses some nihilist and existentialist ideas, generally in a view of life as meaningless. It is also known that a small sect of punk rock developed into a kind of Neo-Nazi punk. The Sex Pistols use nihilist thought in their view of life as meaningless and in their rejection of law and authority. Elements of nihilist and existentialist philosophy can be found in the lyrics of mainstream punk rock groups like Green Day and Blink 182. Blink 182’s song Here’s Your Letter and Shut Up, speak of “life that’s lost all meaning” and “[a] life meaningless .. going nowhere” that(in this song)spurs the lyricist to act. The general ideas and elements of existentialism and nihilism stemming from WWII can be found throughout society, literature and music today. (Age of Anxiety Chap.28- Connection Across Time)

http://web.mit.edu/ducktape/www/nihilism.html http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/415081/nihilism
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/119735 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punk_rock
http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1568

Mustard Gas: Curse or Cure

Technological advances made during World War I would have a drastic effect on the world at large. The use of chemical warfare, in particular, would have a significant effect on people and on their natural environment. Mustard Gas, first developed by the Germans and used in WWI as a weapon against Allied troops left many dead. Today, a slightly altered form of mustard gas is used in chemotherapy. Ironically, a carcinogen and former weapon may save some cancer patient’s lives.